Man Standing on a MountainHappy New Year and welcome to 2020. How are you doing on those resolutions to eat better, embrace gratitude, enjoy life, escape stress, and exercise more regularly? Most people have great intentions but lack the stamina, strategies, and systems to implement and maintain them. What if there were ways for you to be more healthy that involved No Extra Time (NET) exercise? The goal for this post is to share simple strategies and suggestions to help you build a better body with NET exercise. NO Extra Time exercise…to get stronger and live longer.

Recently while walking and wearing a backpack and carrying hand weights a neighbor stopped me and asked a question. “What are you training for?” My answer was, I am always training for something such as a pilgrimage on the El Camino de Santiago Spain or a walk in the woods. He then stated that a coach at the local high school who was younger than us had died recently of diabetes so he was motivated to work out a gym several times a week.

We all feel more compelled to exercise when we have a personal motivation that either pushes us or pulls us to exercise. Most people find that a longer and stronger motivation comes from something that energizes, inspires, motivates, and pulls us. What special adventure, bucket list goal, or trip would inspire you to be more fit, lean, strong, and toned with a no extra time exercise program?

No Extra Time Exercise

  • Airport time is a great opportunity to do some Egoscue or MovNat exercises. You can also do some clever and discreet isometrics and stretches on the plane.
  • Backpacks with weights when walking are a great way to build stronger legs doing a No Extra Time exercise. Watching the movies The Way, A Walk in the Woods, and Wild can really help some people get inspired. Standing up while watching can connect you to the hikers while helping you get fitter and stronger. Wearing a backpack is even a better benefit and a way to connect with the movie theme.
  • Bands allow you to do exercises, physical therapy, and resistance training without going to a gym to lift weights and risk injury. They save you money and time versus a gym membership. Imagine listening to music or watching a video while using lightweight resistance bands to get fitter and stronger at home.
  • Blood Flow Resistance training mentioned by Dr. Mercola uses bands to build more muscle mass faster with less weight or no weight while doing fitness routines. This concept just came to my attention but looks like a fantastic idea to get stronger.
  • Brushing teeth and balancing on one foot or with calf/ toe raises helps energize you without the need for caffeine or stimulant energy drinks.
  • Bear crawls and crab crawls are fun ways to plays with our kids and grandkids while improving our fitness and health.
  • Drive and do isometrics using your steering wheel.  Squeeze a foam stress ball or the steering wheel while stopped in traffic or driving can help us stay calm and build grip strength. As a passenger, you can be passive or powerful based on choices and decisions.
  • Backpack ExerciseFour Minute nitric oxide boost and health routine by Zach Bush MD is a great way for re-energizing your body and brain.
  • Kettlebells in the kitchen allow you to grab and lift them while waiting for the coffee or kettle to boil to maintain your muscles.
  • Kid time and keeping fit with a walk to the park or playground is a great way to encourage healthy habits for life. Remember the backpacks with healthy snacks and water.
  • Long driving trips call for some leg squats and stretches at bathroom breaks to rejuvenate you for safer driving and stronger legs. Stopping at rest areas encourages stretching and walking whereas the convenience store stops promote junk foods and sodas.
  • Mailbox visits are a great time for doing some hopscotch, kangaroo jumps, lunges, and skips to be like a kid and have fun again.
  • Pace or walk in place during long phone calls oxygenates the brain for better thinking.
  • Park further and walk because the time you waste driving around and waiting for a closer spot probably takes even longer.
  • Rebound and relax at home or work when you need time to talk or think. This helps gets our lymph moving. Hand weights help even more.
  • Shopping cart curls while you stand in line at the store. Alternate between curling the cart and toe raises.
  • Sitting on a Swiss ball instead of the sofa is a fantastic way to keep your body leaner, limber and stronger.
  • Screen time is perfect for a few squats during commercials.
  • Sit less and stand up more.  Stand while you watch something on a computer, smartphone, TV. Stand up desks and stand up meetings are smart.
  • Start taking stairs and stop taking an escalator. Also, avoid the people mover mechanical walkways.
  • Talk and walk with your co-workers, kids, partner, siblings or spouse instead of sitting and talking. Stand up meetings go better and faster
  • Walk with water bottles or weights (Heavyhands) for a full-body workout in the same time it takes to walk around. Wearing a backpack with water bottles gives you an even better benefit.
  • Yes, yoga can be a NET exercise. Cats and dogs, planks, tree pose, and wall pushups can all be done while waiting for someone or something.

Passion for People & Planet

The passion and purpose of Morningstar NEWS is to condense hours of research down to two minutes of education, information and inspiration for a healthy lifestyle and mindset. Remember, we can choose No Extra Time exercise or we can continue to tell ourselves we don’t have time until we die prematurely of a painful and preventable chronic disease that robs of us of our time and quality of life and wellbeing… choose wisely. What will you do to make your self-care a higher priority in 2020 and beyond?

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